The Startling Problem Facing Children Today

As new parents, we’re concerned with how our children will grow up. We want the best for them. We want our children to have more opportunities than we did, be better than we are and be more than we ever could have been ourselves. But with the way society is changing, there is a startling problem facing children today.

They are addicted to technology.

Above, a video from Nature Valley, asks 3 generations what they did for fun as children. Their answers may surprise you.

The oldest generation recalls fishing, using a sign as a sled and even growing fruits and vegetables in a garden. The middle generation talks about building forts and playing baseball. The youngest generation? Here’s what one little girl said:

I would die if I don’t have my tablet.

The youngest generation talks about video games, music, pretty much only about consuming media. They admit to spending 3 or more hours per day staring at a screen.

Is anyone else seeing something scary here?

I want my daughter to experience life, see nature, go fishing, get muddy and have a blast doing it. I want her to make friends face-to-face, problem solve how they’ll play a game with the wrong number of people, scrape her knees riding her bike or beg me to take a trip to Panama.

I don’t want my child to grow up only ever looking at a screen. Constantly bombarded by ads, living in a fantasy world of video games and technology. For children, technology should be a tool, not a way of life.

We’re the parents now. We have the ability to change this startling problem facing our children into something else. We can show them that it’s a tool, to help us find our way but it shouldn’t consume us.

2 Comments

Children’s access to technology has certainly progressed much faster than the parenting strategies have. I see it amy ll the time in office and it’s no wonder parents are struggling. Fast moving things leave us behind! But, it can be simple. Listen to the professionals who are all saying “Limit screen time.” Look at what your children are NOT doing when they allocate larger amounts of time to screens. Read about how backlit screens disrupt sleep and natural melatonin production in the brain. Don’t yield to adult peer pressure, wanting your kids to have the latest phones etc. Allow access for the right reasons – information gathering, keeping in contact with parents when away from home, and so forth. Would you allow unrestrained use of a car? Then, why technology when it can take a youngster on a ride far beyond the city limits where they live. It’s OK to set limits. It’s what parents do and it’s what children rely on. ParentWhiz.com

All great pieces of advice. Definitely agree with setting limits. I think we can also limit our screen time as parents. Limiting our time on our phones or tablets sets a good example for our kids.
Appreciate the comment Diana!